Deck hinge and locking apparatus for boats equipped with side decks

ABSTRACT

Apparatus is disclosed for hingedly supporting side decks to a hull, and for locking said side decks in place when they horizontally extend from the hull. For each of two decks, a hinge obtains between a side of the hull and the edge of the deck in question which is lowermost when the deck is vertically oriented. A second hinge (actually a plurality thereof), half of which is secured to the hull underside, and the other half of which is secured to the deck underside when the deck is horizontal, provides the deck locking feature, a pin being slideably engageable and disengageable from said hinge halves.

United States Patent 1 Hawkins Dec. 18, 1973 [76] Inventor: Robert D. Hawkins, 15 Berry Hill Rd., Oyster Bay, NY. 11771 [22] Filed: June 30, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 158,340

Related US Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 523, Jan. 5, 1970,

Pat. NO. 3,662,412.

3,265,025 8/1966 Haigh et a1 9/1 T X 2.368.899 2/1945 Taylor 1 16/176 3,006,025 10/1961 Duban 16/176 Primary Examiner-Duane A. Reger Assistant ExaminerGregory W. OConnor Attorney-Robert F. Cody [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus is disclosed for hingedly supporting side decks to a hull, and for locking said side decks in place when they horizontally extend from the hull. For each of two decks, a hinge obtains between a side of the hull and the edge of the deck in question which is lowermost when the deck is vertically oriented. A second hinge (actually a plurality thereof), half of which is secured to the hull underside, and the other half of which is secured to the deck underside when the deck is horizontal, provides the deck locking feature, a pin being slideably engageable and disengageable from said hinge halves.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DECK HINGE AND LOCKING APPARATUS FOR BOATS EQUIPPED WITH SIDE DECKS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS United States Application Ser. No. 523, filed on Jan. 5, 1970, now US. Pat. No. 3,662,412 of which this application is a continuation-in-part. This application incorporates by reference the disclosure of Application Ser. No. 523.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to apparatus for hingedly securing a side deck to a hull and for locking said side deck in substantially horizontal extension away from the side of said hull.

2. Description Relative tothe Prior Art The aforesaid application Serial No. 523 discloses the need for, and 511 apparatus for, hingedly securing side decks to a hull, and for locking said side decks in horizontal extension away from the hull. Although the hinging and locking" teaching of appliation Ser. No. 523 is generally adequate, it leaves something to be desired from the standpoints of appearance, drag on the hull, and strength.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide distributed support for a deck hinged to a hull so that stresses are not concentrated in any given area of the deck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for supporting and locking a side deck in the manner indicated and which mechanism is neat in appearance and does not interfere with water flow beneath the hull.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the type indicated which is easy to operate, to repair, and to install.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part of the showing of 7 FIG. 1.

Referring to the figures, a boat 10 has a hull 12 and side decks 14,16. The deck 14 is shown in substantially horizontal extension, as would be the normal orientation of the decks (14,16) when the boat 10 floats. The deck 16, on the other hand, is shown in substantially vertical orientation, as would be the normal orientation of the decks when the boat 10 is, say, being carted on a trailer.

The decks 14,16 are similarly supported by the hull 12, and accordingly, only one such deck (16) support will be described: A plurality of hinges 18 (or one long piano hinge) are secured between the edge 20 of the deck 16 and the base of the hull 12. The locations of the hinges 18 relative to the base of the hull is preferred such that, when the deck 16 is extended horizontally, the bottom 22 of the deck 16, and the bottom 24 of the hull 12, are in substantially the same plane. See, for example, the bottom of the deck 14 in relation to the bot tom 24 of the hull 12.

Secured to the bottoms 22,24 of the deck 16 and hull 12 are a plurality of spaced-apart respective pairs of interrneshable linking members 26,28. The linking members have eyes 30,32 which are alignable when the deck is horizontally disposed. And, to be noted, is that each pair of linking members may be comprised of respective halves ofa hinge, the pin of which has been removed.

A slide member 34, having a J cross-section (see FIG. 2) and a number of longitudinal slots 36, is slidably secured to the hull by means of stop screws 38. The lengths of the slots 36 are preferably such that pins 40, coupled by cotter pins 41 to the slide member 34, cannot be withdrawn from total disengagement with their respective intermeshable linking members 28, thereby facilitating the re-coupling of the linking members when their respective eyes are aligned.

By pulling the slide member 34 aft, the linking members are disengaged, allowing the deck 16 to be swung as desired to its vertical orientation or dropped to its horizontal orientation. With the deck 16 horizontally disposed by pushing the slide member 34 forward, the respective coupling pins of the slide member 34 are slid into engagement with both halves of their respective intermeshing linking members 26,28, thereby lcoking deck 16 in its horizontal position. To assure that the slide member cannot inadvertently disengage the pins 40 from their intermeshing members, a slide bolt lock 42 is provided, the bolt 44 of which is adapted to cooperate with a hole 46 in the handle part 48 of the slide member 34.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A vessel comprising:

a. a substantially flat bottomed hull having an approximately water level deck and an approximately water level bottom, the sides of said hull being in watertight relationship with and upstanding from said hull deck, and being adapted to prevent water from washing upon said hull deck,

b. at least two substantially flat side decks disposed on opposite sides of said hull, the undersides of said side decks being also substantially flat, said undersides of said side decks and the bottom of said hull being all adapted to be normally in contact with water when said vessel floats, and

c. respective apparatus for hingedly securing each said side deck to said hull at said water level so that said deck may be moved from a substantially vertical orientation to one that is substantially horizontal, and for locking said deck in a horizontal orientation, comprising:

1. hinge means secured between the side of said hull and the bottom edge of said deck when said deck is substantially vertical,

2. first linking means secured to and proximate the bottom of said hull,

3. second linking means secured to and proximate the bottom of said side deck when said deck is extended in its horizontal position, said first and second linking means being provided with intermeshable parts having respective eyes therein, said intermeshable parts being so positioned with respect to said hull and deck that they are adapted to intermesh when said deck is in its substantially horizontal orientation, and

4. locking means for coupling said first and second linking means together.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second linking means are respective halves of a second hinge, and wherein said locking means is pin means slidably adapted to engage and disengage said hinge parts when said deck is in its horizontal orientation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first linking means comprises a first plurality of hinge halves and said second linking means comprises a second plurality of hinge halves cooperative with respective hinge halves of the first plurality thereof and wherein said locking means comprises a plurality of pins slidably adapted to engage and disengage respective cooperating hinge halves when said deck is in its horizontal orientation.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said plurality of pins is supported on a member adapted for slidably positioning fore and aft of the said hull, the respective pins being adapted for almost complete, but not total, disengagement from their respective hinged halves.

5. The apparatus of Claim 4 including means for so locking in place said member for slidable positioning that when said pins engage their respective cooperating hinge halves the deck is prevented from flopping about.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said member for slidable positioning is a rod having a J cross-section, said rod being provided with longitudinal slots, in the larger of its cross-sectional faces, for defining the travel for said rod, and wherein said apparatus includes means on said vessel slidably extending into said slots, and wherein said hinge-locking pins are coupled to a smaller cross-sectional face of said rod. 

1. A vessel comprising: a. a substantially flat bottomed hull having an approximately water level deck and an approximately water level bottom, the sides of said hull being in watertight relationship with and upstanding from said hull deck, and being adapted to prevent water from washing upon said hull deck, b. at least two substantially flat side decks disposed on opposite sides of said hull, the undersides of said side decks being also substantially flat, said undersides of said side decks and the bottom of said hull being all adapted to be normally in contact with water when said vessel floats, and c. respective apparatus for hingedly securing each said side deck to said hull at said water level so that said deck may be moved from a substantially vertical orientation to one that is substantially horizontal, and for locking said deck in a horizontal orientation, comprising:
 1. hinge means secured between the side of said hull and the bottom edge of said deck when said deck is substantially vertical,
 2. first linking means secured to and proximate the bottom of said hull,
 3. second linking means secured to and proximate the bottom of said side deck when said deck is extended in its horizontal position, said first and second linking means being provided with intermeshable parts having respective eyes therein, said intermeshable parts being so positioned with respect to said hull and deck that they are adapted to intermesh when said deck is in its substantially horizontal orientation, and
 4. locking means for coupling said first and second linking means together.
 2. first linking means secured to and proximate the bottom of said hull,
 2. The Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second linking means are respective halves of a second hinge, and wherein said locking means is pin means slidably adapted to engage and disengage said hinge parts when said deck is in its horizontal orientation.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first linking means comprises a first plurality of hinge halves and said second linking means comprises a second plurality of hinge halves cooperative with respective hinge halves of the first plurality thereof and wherein said locking means comprises a plurality of pins slidably adapted to engage and disengage respective cooperating hinge halves when said deck is in its horizontal orientation.
 3. second linking means secured to and proximate the bottom of said side deck when said deck is extended in its horizontal position, said first and second linking means being provided with intermeshable parts having respective eyes therein, said intermeshable parts being so positioned with respect to said hull and deck that they are adapted to intermesh when said deck is in its substantially horizontal orientation, and
 4. locking means for coupling said first and second linking means together.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said plurality of pins is supported on a member adapted for slidably positioning fore and aft of the said hull, the respective pins being adapted for almost complete, but not total, disengagement from their respective hinged halves.
 5. The apparatus of Claim 4 including means for so locking in place said member for slidable positioning that when said pins engage their respective cooperating hinge halves the deck is prevented from flopping about.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said member for slidable positioning is a rod having a J cross-section, said rod being provided with longitudinal slots, in the larger of its cross-sectional faces, for defining the travel for said rod, and wherein said apparatus includes means on said vessel slidably extending into said slots, and wherein said hinge-locking pins are coupled to a smaller cross-sectional face of said rod. 